All readers, bloggers and film enthusiasts are encouraged to participate in the following 59 question survey.________________________________________________________________________________01. Who/what do you feel is the most overrated actor, actress, director and film?02. Who/what do you feel is the most underrated actor, actress, director and film?03. Do you read film magazines? If so, which titles?_________________________________________________________04. Do you generally prefer cel or computer animation?05. Do you generally watch foreign films?06. Do you have a favorite film genre, and if so, what is it and why?___________________________________________________________________________07. What do you think is the most representative film from the following countries: a) France? b) Spain? c) Italy? d) Russia? e) Japan? f) China? g) Great Britain? h) Germany? i) Australia? j) India? k) Ireland? l) Scandinavia? m) Greece? n) Africa? o) Canada? p) South America? 08) What, in your mind, is the most successful film translation of a piece of literature? 09) Do you feel there has ever been a film remake that has exceeded the quality of the original? Is so, what film and why?_______________________________________________________________________________ 10) Name three films you feel contain the most impressive achievements in screenwriting. 11) What film most disappointed your expectations? 12) What film most exceeded your expectations? 13) Do you feel artistic achievement in film is separate from entertainment value? 14) Do you feel films were better or worse for being produced under the Production Code?_____________________________________________________________ 15) Do you think there is such a thing as “an important” film, and if so what film would that be? 16) Do you generally read film criticism? If so, which critics do you follow? 17) Do you feel film criticism has changed with the advent of the Internet? If so, how? 18) If you read film criticism do you usually read it before or after seeing a film. and why? 19) If you see a film based on a book, would you be more likely to read the book before or after the film?————————————————————————————————————- 20) Do you follow the Auteurist theory? 21) When seeing a film do you feel more forgiving of a performer or filmmaker whose past work you have admired? 22) In your opinion, in what order are the most important participants in a film, beginning with the most important: writer, director, producer, actor? 23) In foreign films, do you prefer subtitles or dubbing? 24) What do you think has been the most valuable technical contribution to films? 25) What do you think has been the most damaging technical advance to films? 26) Do you have a preference between black and white and color films? 27) What do you think was the most significant Movement in the history of films? 28) Do you think that a vintage film which contains, now-perceived inflammatory “politically incorrect” material should either be unreleased or re-issued under altered conditions? 29) Do you read collected volumes of film criticism? If so who do you read? 30) Do you feel television critics are as creditable as traditional print film critics? 31) Do you feel internet bloggers are as creditable as traditional print film critics?____________________________________________________________ 32) Do you feel the emergence of internet blogging has strengthened or weakened Critical Thought in film? 33) Can you name a film you feel was badly directed and yet you still regard as a good film? 34) Can you name a film you feel was badly written and yet you still regard as a good film? 35) Do you generally prefer to watch sound or silent films? 36) Do you feel there is legitimacy in “staging” events in documentary films? 37) Do you favor DVD presentations with additional features? If so, which features are important to you? 38) Do you listen to DVD commentary tracks?__________________________________________________________ 39) Do you believe Populist opinion should have any relevance in Critical Thinking? 40) Are you more likely to see a film if it has won awards at festival competitions? 41) Are you more likely to see a film if it has been nominated or has won “major” commercial awards (Oscar, Golden Globe)? 42) Are you more likely to see a film that has received raves from critics?____________________________________________________________________ 43) Do you feel it is possible to be regarded as well-rounded in the cinema without paying attention to foreign language films?_______________________________________________________________________ 43) Do you believe a star rating for films has value? A numerical rating? A thumb rating? 44) Do you believe film critics have merit in relation to populist interest in film? 45) Do you believe film critics have merit in relation to aesthetic concerns in film? 46) Of the generally abandoned regular features of yesteryear that would be shown at theaters, which would you most enjoy making a comeback and why: Short subjects, newsreels, cartoons or serials? 47) Do you make generally use film guides for research references? 48) Do you believe extreme violence may be used effectively in a film? If yes, state an example. 49) Do you believe explicit sexuality may be used effectively in a film? If yes, state an example. 50) Do you read books about film? If so, what are your greatest areas of interest?_____________________________________________________________________ 51) Do you listen to or regularly purchase soundtrack albums?_____________________________________________________________________________ 52) Do you feel it is incumbent upon critics to help establish standards of excellence in film as an artistic enterprise? 53) When watching a film on a home screen as opposed to a theatrical venue, do you find your disciplinary habits in watching a film without distractions is increased? If so, do you feel this detracts from the fullest attention you would otherwise give the film? 54) Have you ever attended a drive-in movie theater?______________________________________________________________________ 55) Do you feel songs used on a film soundtrack enhance a film or are they simply an overused device for marketing purposes? 56) In your opinion, what is the greatest artistic achievement in American cinema? 57) In your opinion, what is the greatest artistic achievement in non-American cinema? 58) Do you believe in the concept of the “guilty pleasure”? If yes, do you have one? 59) Do you regard Film as an Art Form?

_________________________________________________________

Thank you for participating in the 2013 Critical Establishment Readers Survey. Participation is an exhausting task so please avail yourselves of our complimentary orange juice and cookies and please lay still for about fifteen minutes before moving about as you may experience a sensation of dizziness and vertigo. Our attending staff will call a nurse if you need further assistance. Again, thank you for participating.

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About chandlerswainreviews

I've been a puppet, a pirate, a pauper, a poet, a pawn and a king, not necessarily in that order. My first major movie memory was being at the drive-in at about 1 1/2 yrs. old seeing "Sayonara" so I suppose an interest in film was inevitable. (For those scoring at home- good for you- I wasn't driving that evening, so no need to alert authorities.)Writer, critic and confessed spoiler of women, as I have a tendency to forget to put them back in the refrigerator. My apologies.

BUT A MERE SAMPLING OF THOSE SUCKERED IN BY THE SWEEET NARCOTIC THAT IS CHANDLER SWAIN REVIEWS

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VICTIMS OF MORBID CURIOSITY: DON'T LET THIS HAPPEN TO YOU!

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This site would not be possible without the invaluable resources and out-of-print materials to be found at The Shire Book Shop in Franklin, Massachusetts. If in the area, do stop by this amazing paradise for readers, or visit them on the web at: www.shirebookshop.com .

WELCOME

If you don't like what you see, what the heck- it's free!

"When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever is left, however improbable, must be the truth."

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Clearly if this little darling had been better versed in film quotes she wouldn't have ended up as a big bug appetizer. DON'T LET THIS HAPPEN TO YOU! Enroll today at BIJOUX U., otherwise known as FLIM FLAM FILM TALK, the greatest film blogsite this side of the otherside. Become well versed in filmology, cinemaology and overpriced popcornology all for nuthin' a serving. Just click on the photo above and enjoy the ride. Accredited by the academics at SMARTERIN U. FILM SCHOOL and operating while avoiding the cloud of federal indictment since 1806.

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THE SEEKING OF WISDOM

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FILMS DEMANDING REDISCOVERY:

Michelangelo Antonioni's neglected "Identificazione di una donna" relinquishes the metaphysical mire which had plagued the director for over a decade, and offered an introspective view of life, creation, sex and love. A film worthy of attention and serious reappraisal.

Dusty Things on the Shelf

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OUR MASCOT BENNY

For cryin' out loud, watch your fingers because if he hasn't had his peanut butter, he gets really cranky!

RECOMMENDED SOUNDTRACKS

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Converting Populist Stooges Into Critical Thinkers In The Blink Of An Eye!

IMAGES FROM THE DRIVE-IN

Jane Fonda stars in Roger Vadim's 1968 outer space sex comedy, but is it worth the trip in the old Pontiac or does it crash and burn on take-off? Read the review at NITES AT THE DRIVE-IN CINEMA to find out.

MANDATORY CINEMA FOR THE CRITICAL MIND

The essential 1967 Russian film "Viy" was actually the first horror film produced in the Soviet regime.

LEGAL THREATS & BOSSY MUMBO JUMBO

All material displayed is protected under copyright 2011 by Chandler Swain, Chandler Swain Reviews and parent companies therefore and whatnot. No material will be copied without the written permission of above parties unless the offender wishes to suffer a cruel fate worse than any experienced by a spouse of any reality program housewife, skank or pseudo-trash celebrity. Thou hast been warned. Just kidding.

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THE CRITICAL ESTABLISHMENT : AN INTRODUCTION

What is it we seek from the Cinema? It all depends on your point of view.

For some, the movies are a source of seeking refuge from everyday existence, a release from daily tensions and anxieties. This is escapism and it has been the driving factor of the Populist attraction to the movies since the origin of the form. However, if one were to alter the view and regard film without merely the Populist limitations of escapist diversion but also as an Art Form, the perspective deepens and enters the realm of Critical Thought.

Though inconsistent in perspective, each side has validity, and is actually far more dependent on the existence of the other than would first seem possible. In a nutshell, it is a battleground between perceived verisimilitude against the aesthetic Ideal.

In formulating the foundations of The Critical Establishment,
it is necessary to understand the characteristics of each perspective, to note the seemingly contradictory similarities and disparities, and their often inextricable interconnections.

THE CRITICAL ESTABLISHMENT : The Reviewer as Vox Populi

In examining both Populist thought and Critical Thinking in Film, it is useful to define the key players in the field: the reviewers and the critics. Though seemingly cut from the same cloth, there is a world of difference. Reviewers are the professional manifestation of the Populist front; reviewers have a primary focus on entertainment value while critics evaluate under an aesthetic criteria, reviewers reward immediate gratification whereas critics seek artistry.

With the burgeoning of internet filmspeak, there is a misconception that the old model of printed press criticism is being eroded by the emergence of an equal internet critical roster. This, however, is a fallacy. One thing is for certain, even with a cursory glance at popular internet movie sites: reviewers are plentiful and genuine criticism of merit is as scarce as water in the Mojave Desert.

The reviewer will generally spend the bulk of their time reprinting the plot synopsis of a film, often almost verbatim from the printed materials of the studio. While this assists handily in filling a column, it does little to illuminate the worth of a film. The reviewer will often spend an inordinate amount of time relaying such unessential data as background gossip, "best" lists and an alarming volume of space on film finances- usually relating to either the film's budget (as if the writer had a financial stake in the enterprise) or opening weekend receipts, neither of which has the slightest bearing on the film's aesthetic achievement.

MOVIES YOU MIGHT NOT WANT TO MISS

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MANDATORY CINEMA FOR THE CRITICAL MIND

Stephane Audran in Claude Chabrol's meditative psychological suspense film "Le boucher" virtually redefines how thrillers should be conceived, by concentrating solely on character rather than narrative, the finale of the film, rather than the standard increase in tension, achieves a far more satisfying sense of personal tragedy.

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